Help

[Magpie Ranger]

Hi guys,
I started the Warrior Diet about a year ago, the problem is, I picket up smoking 6 months ago. While it wasn't that big of an issue in the beginning when I smoked only in the evening, now I'm smoking through the day and it hinders my WD.
Actually when you smoke you're not hungry, but sometimes I have to eat something, because I feel weak and dizzy.
Any suggestions? Can actually the diet itself put me off those cigarrets?

[clake16]

not to be a smartass, but quit smoking.  Best to identify why you started or see what psychologically makes you want to smoke.  Work on that and then cut the cigs out.   there are a lot of interviews/info on breaking that habbit on the internet.  Sorry to be so blunt, but I don't like to treat symptons or find ways to keep the problem around.  You know the problem ... so work on cutting it out : )

[Dano3000]

Quit while its still new. I smoked for 3 years (before I even turned 18, legal age in the states) and luckily decided to quit before I could legally buy them on my own. I knew I would NEVER quit if I could just walk into a store and say "Gimme my fix," but if quitting after just 3 years was that big a pain in the ass, I respect the people who quit after 10, 20, 30, 40 years cold turkey and say "no biggie."
Dont wait to quit, just do it. The sooner it gets done the easier it is.

[Magpie Ranger]

Hi Dano3000,
i wanted to ask you, what did happen, so you quit smoking? It isn't difficult starting - you just have to light one up, and another and so on. But what did you think, what made you stop?

[Dano3000]

My fitness was beginning to decline (I was into martial arts at the time). I usually just pushed through the sore lungs, but it got to a point where no matter how hard I tried, I couldnt catch my breath.
Deep down inside, every smoker knows whats in it for them, and every smoker makes excuses to not care. Somehow this is romantic in our society. It's not. Smoking does nothing but ruin the potential health, years, and happiness you would have had, had you never smoked.
The tobacco industry is a slave industry, from start (field workers being treated like slaves) to finish (Customer becoming a slave to addiction). It is sick. Research it if you feel like, but all I'm gonna say is that its gross and evil. I laugh a little inside when I see "punk rock" teen hipsters smoking while talking about how much the government sucks. Smoking is essentially the governments money vein. If you smoke, you support your government. Hypocrisy at its finest.
But I could go on and on and on. It wont really matter. You wont quit unless you want to. If you dont really want to quit, if you see no benefit from it and never honestly believe you will be happier without it, you wont. When I did, I wittled my way down to two cigarettes a day, then stopped completely after that. You will be grouchy. It will suck. You'll have to get over it, and you will be glad you did.

[wolf]

i don't smoke nor do i advise it but i wanted to offer another view on the argument.

smoking has been practiced for longer than i could state, it has some serious history.

now i'm english, smoking used to be a social act here, even taking into account 'medical advances' the facts are still very much there. everyone used to smoke, lung cancer cases were negligible and lung disease etc. people smoke less now (here) and lung cancer is widespread.

so much for that huh? and smoking doesn't contain any known carcinogens. i mean it could contain some but none have been found that i am aware of.

on a slight digression the increase in lung cancer correlates pretty strongly with the  increased use of diesel as a fuel, a chemical in it is said to double the risk.

as for the relaxation effect of smoking, everyone is like... well actually it's a stimulant you're just feeding an addiction b ut i think that is untrue, it is very easy to pick out a stimulating ingredient in a substance and talk scientifically to convince someone of something,..

i mean smoking in general i would assume is neutral, cause smoking weed is definately not predominately stimulating but i have read that tobacco does a very good job of encouraging alpha waves in the brain, whcih for those that don't know indicates a relaxed, aware, receptive state, some find 'the zone' here. if it was immensely harmful i don't think it would have stood up to time.

i think the effects on the respiratory system exist but aren't evident in those that aren't frequent smokers, the inactiation of cilia etc

i know smokiing isn't uncommon among athletes which leads me to doubt the extent of any damage.i know some healthy people who smoke a lot, i mean a lot, the most notable effects i think are on the voice. obviously this is just based on observation,

i think tobacco is a substance with notable effects and shoudl be treated a such, anything can be detrimental if self discipline isn't practiced.

i dont' have any sources to quote now, and i'm knackered so i don't intend to find any
but second-opinions.co.uk covered the subject and he backs up pretty much all he says with something or other.

[Dano3000]

Also, wolf, you gotta take into account what modern production has done to the tobacco plant. Ancient tobacco, the kind smoked by shamans and sages and such, contained an exponentially higher level of Bicotine compared to Nicotine. Bicotine is a potent narcotic, less addictive than nicotine, and generally was responsible for the high respect ancient cultures paid to tobacco. The journals of english noblemen describe "falling down in a drunken stupor" after smoking. Imagine smoking while driving with this ancient, real tobacco. Or going into the smoking room of an airport while your waiting for your flight, with all the other intoxicated, laughing high people. Not possible, not profitable.
 So essentially what we have done is created a tobacco that is exponentially more addictive, not nearly as effective in messing you up, and probably less flavorful too. I would argue that if we used REAL tobacco and not scientist engineered slaughter crops for smoking, we would smoke less. Alot less. Not to mention if we left all the unneeded chemicals out of the stuff and actually grew it in proper conditions with fair respect for the farmers/field workers etc. etc.
 I respect tobacco alot. I respect its history and what it's responsible for (America, anyone?). I hold it in high regard. But in my opinion, even you were smoking Bicotine rich, natural tobacco, at the end of the day your still inhaling smoke. Human lungs are not designed to inhale smoke. Period. It's not healthy.
 As far as pot goes, Humans have been using hemp and marijuana longer than tobacco. It's still estrogenic, it will still make you hungry, fat, complacent, lazy, etc, But I still think it should be legalized for people wishing to consume it. Its a shame that such a potentially beneficial medicine is downplayed into nothing more than a tool of propaganda.

[comanighttrain]

i had a whole mess of brownies when i was in amsterdam....

I wish theyd legalise that and ban tabacco....itd be a happier less stressful world

[Geronimo8201]

You guys make some pretty good points on the history of Tobacco.  It is a plant that is definitely worth respecting.  Wolf, you make a good point in saying that people have been smoking tobacco in some form or another for thousands of years and have never seen as high rates of cancer as today (the same goes for sun exposure without sunscreen and skin cancer).  However, in relation to Dano's comments, the processing of tobacco these days, along with the overall quality of tobacco grown from nutrient depleted soil, has definitely made it less healthy over time (the same can be said for the nutrient availability in fruits and vegetables today when compared to 200 years ago).  At the same time, while people lived much healthier lifestyles a thousand years ago (minus the hygiene factor), today's population is constantly exposed to highly processed food, pollution, toxic plastics, etc.  In such an environment where our bodies are already bombarded with so many pollutants and toxins, it's a lot easier for smoking to just add to the mess and push our bodies over the edge.  Given our modern-day environment, I believe that we should try and do as much as we can to remain as natural as possible and bring our bodies back to an atmosphere that is more representative of what our bodies were designed to survive (and thrive) in.

Ranger, just to add another thought on why you should try and drop the habit, there's some interesting research being done on our cells' growth and reactions as we develop habitual behaviors.  Basically, when we perform an action or behavior, chemicals are released to bind to receptors in our cells, so that our body's cells can carry out the appropriate action.  For example, if you cross the street and a car is charging at you, adreniline is released by your hypothalmus, attaches to the cells' appropriate receptors, and then the billions of cells in your body, in coordination, make you jump the f***k out of the way.  Now lets transfer this into smoking.  Smoking brings its own chemicals into your blood stream.  A lot of these chemicals immitate the shape of those chemicals or hormones naturally produced by the body, and therefore attach to particular receptors on your body's cells, causing a particular reaction (whether it be to release relaxing or stimulating hormones).  While this action isn't a big deal if it occurs once in a while, it becomes a problem if done habitually and repetitively.

Through habitual smoking, these chemicals are constantly released into the body and received by the cells.  However, such a constant bombardment of the same chemicals causes insensitivity in the cells (which means that more of the same chemicals are needed to induce a reaction).  Anybody that's gone from smoking one cigarette a day to a pack a day can attest to the need to take in more just to be able to get the same kick; same with alcoholics that build up a "tolerance" to booze and can down 750 ml of hard liquor no problem while a newbie throws up a sixpack of beer.

While one may initially think it's a good thing that your body's tolerance has increased to these chemicals, consider the following:  Your body becomes more tolerant because your cells build more receptors in order to capture the abundant supply and therefore induce a reaction (basically a defense mechanism from the over-bombardment).  However, cells are of limited size and can't keep developing new receptors.  As a result, the cells start to replace other receptors (such as receptors for vitamins and minerals) in order to make place for the receptors of cigarette chemicals (in our example).  As this continues, our cells develop more receptors for cigarette chemicals and lose receptors for things that our bodies actually need (such as vitamins, testosterone, adrenaline, etc.).  Over time, your body becomes less capable of absorbing essential nutrients that it actually needs to survive and work efficiently in the best interest of your body.

My apologies for such a long-worded response, but I think it's an important concept to understand and should be a good motivator to quit smoking as soon as possible.  Fortunately, if you quit, your body will readjust and your cells will shift the distribution of receptors as necessary.  Just be sure to do so quickly before your body becomes more dependant and tolerant of cigarette smoke.  Good luck, man.

[Magpie Ranger]

Wow, Geronimo8201,
thank you for the comment. Shocking thought with the receptors, will keep it in mind, it makes sense now that i read it, but never thought by myself.

[Geronimo8201]

Yeah...it's amazing how with a little knowledge and time, you can finally start putting the puzzle pieces together and it all starts to make sense...

[Vega]

If you just started smoking, something had to happen in your life to make you make this bad decision. Did you face a huge change in your life? Did you work become too stressful? There was an obvious trigger that made you start smoking. Most people start smoking at a young age because of peer pressure but someone who picks it up late in life usually start because of stress. There are better ways and more healthy ways of dealing with stress. Whether it is counseling, medicine or even yoga; you've got to find some way to deal and better handle your stress.